TERMS OF REFERENCE

Armenian Caritas Benevolent NGO

in the framework of

“Women Resource Center in Vardenis” project

Call for the selection of a company to provide business development consulting, career coaching, and soft skills to the project beneficiaries

Project title “Women Resource Center in Vardenis”
Place of implementation RA, Gegharkunik region, Vardenis
Deadline for the applications 30/04/2023
Start date May/ 2023
Kind of contract Service contract
Duration of service delivery May- July 2023/ September- November 2023
E-mail for applications m.grigoryan@caritas.am , info@caritas.am

 

  1. Background

Armenian Caritas intends to strengthen its presence in the Gegharkunik region, specifically in Vardenis sub-region taking into consideration several factors, among which are: the increasing number of female-headed families after the war in 2020, scarce capacity-building opportunities for women, lack of skills entering the formal job market. Evaluation of the previous project implemented by Armenian Caritas in Vardenis showed that there is still a gap in stable and long-term activities for women to continue building up their capacities and promoting their economic independence and self-sufficiency. The data collected from the Unified social service of Vardenis (within the Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs of the RA) show, that officially certified 692 women are currently looking for a job opportunity in Vardenis, and 10 of them have disabilities.

In the frame of the above-mentioned needs Women resource center in Vardenis (WRCV) project has been established in Vardenis community.  The center is a common and unique space for women living in Vardenis and adjoining settlements to develop their skills and capacities, share their experiences with other women, and provide psychological self-support to each other. The center is a safe place also for their children to have an interesting time with their peers and be engaged in development activities, thus providing the women an opportunity to dedicate time for themselves.

The project activities create an opportunity to provide project beneficiaries with certain skills which will help them improve their social and economic life through the development of soft skills and capacities in certain areas. They will have opportunities to become more sustainable and develop self-expression skills, as well as capacities to enter job market.

 

  1. The objectives of the action

The objectives are as follows:

  • Conduct an assessment to identify the needs of women entrepreneurs in Vardenis community.
  • Provide business consultancy such as advertising, marketing, financial literacy, business management, etc. (40 hours per group),
  • Provide soft skills such as job-seeking skills, opportunities in the labor market, communication skills, critical thinking, problem-solving, etc (12 hours per group),
  • Support women in developing successful business proposals.
  1. Scope of the action

The purpose of this terms of reference is to select a company that provides business consulting, coaching, and soft-skill services to women. The company will be responsible for developing and implementing a comprehensive program that will enable women to enhance their business acumen, leadership skills, and soft skills. The course will be delivered through various means, including online and offline workshops, training sessions, one-on-one coaching, online resources, and networking opportunities.

During a year of operation, 2 groups of women, 40 participants in total, will participate in business training courses. They will be selected based on their experience, skills, and willingness to develop their employability.

The selected company will work with a group of women during two phases over a period of a year. The phases are May-July 2023, September- October 2023, and each group will be made up of max. 20 participants. The course should be designed to be flexible and adaptable to the changing needs of the participants.

At the end of each course, 5 seed grants will be awarded to women based on their business proposals and performance, 10 seed grants in total.

  1. Deliverables

The selected company will be expected to deliver the following:

  • A comprehensive program/course that includes training and coaching sessions, online resources, and networking opportunities.
  • Reports after each phase of the program/ course and updates on program/course implementation.
  • A final report outlining the results and impact of the program/ course

 

  1. Selection Criteria
  • The company’s previous experience in providing business consulting, coaching, and soft skill services.
  • educational background of the team members ( master’s degree or equivalent in economics, business management, or another relevant field).
  • The company’s understanding of the needs of women entrepreneurs and business leaders.
  • The company’s ability to develop and implement a comprehensive and tailored program.
  1. Application Procedure
  • Company profile and relevant experience,
  • CV(s) of trainers/experts,
  • Description of proposed program/course methodology for 2,5- 3 months,
  • Schedule of activities,
  • Financial proposal.

 

Proposals should be submitted no later than 30th April to m.grigoryan@caritas.am, and info@caritas.am. The selection committee will review all proposals and select the most qualified company based on the selection criteria outlined above.